The association between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and birth weight: A meta-analysis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 8; p. e0236708
• Main Authors: Yang, Liren, Shang, Li, Wang, Shanshan, Yang, Wenfang, Huang, Liyan, Qi, Cuifang, Gurcan, Anil, Yang, Zixuan, Chung, Mei Chun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 13.08.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adducts; Air pollution; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomarkers; Birth weight; Childrens health; Cohort analysis; Cord blood; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA adducts; Endocrine disruptors; Exposure; Fetuses; Gynecology; Health aspects; Hospitals; Ingestion; Inhalation; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Meta-analysis; Minority & ethnic groups; Obstetrics; People and Places; Physical Sciences; Placenta; Pollutants; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Pregnancy; Pregnancy complications; Prenatal experience; Prenatal exposure; Prenatal influences; Public health; Pyrene; Research and Analysis Methods; Respiration; Risk analysis; Software; Studies; Umbilical cord; Urine; Weight; China; United States > US; Massachusetts
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236708

Background Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a kind of endocrine disruptors, which can enter human body by the inhalation of PAH-containing matter and the ingestion of PAH-containing foodstuffs. Studies showed that PAHs can cross the placental barrier and might cause adverse effects on the fetus. Objectives This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the associations between prenatal exposure to PAHs and birth weight. Methods Articles published in English until May 8, 2020 and reported the effects of prenatal exposure to PAHs on birth weight were searched in multiple electronic databases including PubMed, the Web of Science, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. The included studies were divided into three groups in accordance with the measurement of PAHs exposure. Then coefficient was extracted, conversed and synthesized by random-effects meta-analysis. And risk of bias was assessed for each study. Results A total of 3488 citations were searched and only 11 studies were included finally after double assessment. We found that there were no association between PAH-DNA adducts in cord blood (low/high) (OR: 1.0, 95%CI: 0.97, 1.03), 1-hydroxy pyrene (1-HP) concentration in maternal urine (OR: 1.0, 95%CI: 0.97, 1.03) and prenatal maternal airborne PAHs exposure (OR: 0.97, 95%CI: 0.93, 1.01) and birth weight. However, we observed ethnicity may change the effects of PAHs exposure on birth weight. Conclusions There is no significant relationship between prenatal exposure to PAHs and birth weight in our meta-analysis. Further studies are still needed for determining the effects of prenatal PAHs exposure on birth weight.